Joyce Overland Frost
by ThxrinOxkenshield
Summary: Jack Frost, the bringer of snow days and fun; Joyce Frost, the summoner of cold and joy, are suddenly hoarded to the North Pole and told Jack has been chosen as a Guardian after the discovery that Pitch Black has returned since the dark ages. Amidst the now intense fight, Joyce is coming to terms with the fact she wasn't a Guardian like her brother. And her feelings for someone.
1. Chapter 1

**Joyce Overland Frost's Point of View**

* * *

Everything could've been a lot worse. Leaving that lake and hearing the eery whisper from the moon was terrifying all on its own, but having him by her side throughout all of it sure as hell made everything a lot more durable. Joyce could only really assume she was a glass half full kind of gal. Her and her brother had been through hell together. She kept count on the amount of times they'd been walked through: 4,327 times. She often kept that little detail away from her brother, who pretty much just grew more and more distressed each time it happened. Joyce, or Joy as she preferred, could've been a little more miserable. The only thing really keeping her going was her brother and the many interactions she forced herself to share with one spirit in particular that's had her eye since 1968.

But anyway, that wasn't the point right now. The point was to let any and all know who exactly the Frost twins were and how much more they were than the bringers of snow days and mischief. For one thing, they didn't look like one of those terrible clay animations where they were portrayed to have blue skin and terribly pointed noses that were about as long as their foreheads. Jack was around 5'8" with pale skin and snow white hair. His eyes gleamed a bright blue, often complimented by the blue hoodie he wore that was riddled with frost. The brown breeches he wore were the same ones he came out of the lake with. Joy was surprised it didn't smell as bad as it probably should considering they'd been out of the lake for about three hundred years now.

She stood at an even 5'4" with a thin, gangly sort of figure. She somewhat looked underfed, but she blamed that on the cold atmosphere she was often in. Cold just made everything look a tad more exaggerated. Like her twin, she also bore snow white hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. Although, her eyes were a little more wide with longer eyelashes. Her hair, which she had fixed into a ponytail permanently, was often untidy and frizzy. She wore a smaller hoodie that pretty much got down to her midriff. Thankfully, she wore her old blouse she came out of the lake with underneath it so her stomach was hidden. She wore dark blue sweatpants that poofed around her tiny ankles. Her feet were always bare, the bottoms often coated in the dirt she walked on.

It's been three hundred years since they left the lake. It's a blatant term. They were literally pulled from the lake and into the cold, crispy air of the night for the moon to stare down at them in order to inform them that they were Jack and Joyce Frost, the twins of winter. That was it. That was all they got. Perhaps then they should've been a lot angrier, both too naïve to know what happens in the future. As Joy mentioned before, things were slightly better because they had each other, but they lived in constant disharmony from the lack of people looking upon them and knowing they were there. It was tiresome to hear the same names repeated of the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and even the Sandman because for some reason they'd always be well known. They were hardly ever walked through.

The twins had met each and every one of them. From the Russian Christmas bringer to the small, round, gold and green balloon that brought good or bad luck to whomever, Jack and Joy learned they were not the only two spirits in this world. The incredible thing was that they weren't alone. Unfortunately, as far as food chains went, they were at the very bottom. The Frost twins were nothing but metaphors and old sayings. It was hurtful.

But, nevertheless, they dealt with it. After all, there wasn't much they could do. Joyce was quite content with never being seen as long as Jack was there by her side to keep her company. She just wished he felt the same way. Her brother was the funniest person she ever knew with energy even she couldn't measure up to. They had loads of joyful fun together, but as soon as he was reminded it truly was the two of them for three hundred years, he went back to moping about and asking the moon for answers. As always, it never answered. Joyce wished she could take this pain from him, desperately so, but it was impossible when she couldn't get a single kid to look Jack's or her own way.

Three hundred years.

It's been an eternity. Not much has changed. She and her brother continued to remain in Burgess watching over the children, particularly Jamie since he was Jack's favorite as well as Cupcake, who was Joyce's favorite. Nobody believed in the spirits as much as Jamie Bennett did, however. Big Foot, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, the Loch Ness Monster, the Sandman...hell, even mermaids. He believed in it all. It was incredible to see, honestly. Jack just wished he could be added to the already long list.

As for Cupcake, she was the most feared girl on her block. From what Joyce could see during the school days, she tended to be avoided by her classmates in fear of her losing her temper and attacking them. It reminded Joyce of someone she knew relatively enough. She craved his attention, too. But for Cupcake she felt pity. Joyce could see there was so much more to her. Cupcake liked feminine things like unicorns and kitty cats. Her dreams consisted of islands made of candy and the skies painted in only a bright, sunny blue. Her joy made Joyce feel full.

The spirits pretty much stayed the same. Santa, or North, was still jolly from what she could see and he tended to be a little overenergized when it came to delivering presents, watching as he popped in and out of chimneys as though they were portals. Joy's never met the Tooth Fairy, but she's heard she's one of the most beautiful spirits out there and one of the kindest. She was lucky to meet the Sandman once. He was a lot of fun to be around, even for those few minutes. He spoke in a hurry and he made impossible creations that still took Joy's breath away. Joy had also met the Leprechaun, Hallow the Halloween Black Cat, the grumpy Groundhog, Father Time, Cupid, and even La Muerte. She was a gander to look at. Joy often heard rumors she and Father Time were in kahoots with each other.

And then there was E. Aster Bunnymund, or just the Easter Bunny as the kids called him. She had met him in 1968, and she's unfortunately had far few reunions since then. Bunny was a grumpy, aggressive spirit(well, Guardian now) who pretty much just loathed the twins after the blizzard. It had only occurred after an argument Jack and Joy had that affected their emotions far too much. The result was disastrous, but it also gave Joy her first look at what she presumed to be her other half.

Bunny was over six feet tall with an accent that mirrored Australia's. He had vivid green eyes and large white buck teeth. Perhaps she should've been put off that they were two completely different species. Speaking of which, she should probably be shunned for having feelings for him at all in that case, but she figured that didn't matter. Bunny could comprehend human feelings and had his own personality that made him his own spirit and Guardian. That's what really drew Joyce to him so strongly. He was pretty much her polar opposite, both powers-wise and personality-wise.

She was smart enough not to mention any of this to Jack, who already held a grudge against the rabbit for his violent reaction to their accident and was just a big jerk in general(Jack's words, not hers). She wouldn't say he hated Bunny so much as he was just annoyed by him. Joyce could live with that. She just wished she could see him again, look into those green eyes and redeem herself any way she can in order to win back any favor he might've held for her. Joyce knew deep down he's never respected her, though.

Other than that, nothing's really changed. With the developing technologies, Burgess looked a lot different, but Jack and Joy's lake remained along with the trees surrounding it where they spent their nights sleeping when Jack wasn't dwelling on his very existence. A canopy of snow kept her comfortable while he preferred the highest branch where he could lean back into the base of the tree and stare up at the moon longingly, waiting for some kind of sign that he was going to speak again.

They swapped days now for work. One day she could be making snow days and blizzards while he took the next. Seeing as it was her day off now, it was expected for her to lay comfortably in her pile of snow, completely relaxed and at peace knowing she didn't have to do a thing today that required her physical labor. She wondered how on earth her brother managed to do so well with that staff of his. Joyce would consider it a burden to carry it around all the time, but he loved it. It was the first thing he grasped to prop himself up on the slippery ice of the lake. It was as though that was the key to brandishing his powers without a problem.

Joyce preferred to be more hands on. She had come out of the lake with a ring slipped on her right hand, wooden in material, but it was crafted so no thorns or splinters sprung into her skin. It glowed white, enabling her to use the palm of her hands to do all the work instead of a shepherd's stick. Still, though, she didn't know why she came out of the lake with a ring on. That was one of the many questions she still had, but she didn't beg the moon for answers like Jack did.

Speaking of Jack...

"ARGH!" Joy shrieked, falling from her perch and onto the snowy ground below. Her field of vision was compromised thanks to a cleverly aimed snowball that had been aimed for her face. She went to sit up to screech at whomever disturbed her slumber until she felt a large weight hit her on her torso. Her brother's loud voice met her ears, annoyingly making the world practically echo, "DOGPILE!"

"Gerroff! Gerroff!" Joyce snarled, shoving him away so she could jump to her feet. He obliged, standing across the lake with a mocking grin as he twirled his staff expertly before leaning on it lazily. Joyce leaped to her feet, fists clenched and ring now a blinding white since she was ready to blast him with ice. "I was sleeping, Jack!"

"It's the middle of the day!" Jack replied coolly. "Besides, I'm done with my routes and I'm too awake to go to sleep. Is Jamie home?"

"I dunno, I _was_ asleep," Joy scoffed, rolling her eyes. Jack turned around, now with the intention to fly up and see if he could find his favorite kid wandering about his backyard. This gave Joy ample opportunity to form a snowball in the palm of her hand, aiming carefully for the back of her stupid brother's head. Just before she could toss it, however, she saw a group of kids walking up in the near corner. Jamie Bennett, tailed closely by his best friends who also happened to be twins Claude and Caleb. Joyce liked them well enough. She thought they were really funny.

"Just in time," she heard her brother chirp, leaping into the air with the wind to get closer. Joyce huffed, now knowing he was too far away and the moment had passed for her to get her revenge for the stupid snowball. Dropping it unceremoniously on the ground, she followed her brother high into the air before the two landed carefully on Jamie's fence. Jack could balance with ease, but Joyce struggled enough that she had to settle with just sitting on it instead while gripping the top in order not to fall.

Jamie seemed to be going on and on about his book that stated Big Foot hair DNA samples were spotted in Michigan. Joy could see her brother smile thoughtfully. There Jamie went again with his belief for everything. It truly was a treat to see.

"Here we go again," Claude groaned, finally pausing in the roughhousing he and his brother were doing.

"You saw that video, too, Claude! He's out there!" Jamie gasped excitedly, abandoning his book in favor of his tiny sled.

"That's what you said about aliens!" Caleb reminded, contorting his face to mimic the host of that sci-fi show the trio often watch on Saturdays that gives vague explanations about how the unknown is actually known. Joy and Jack have peeked in to watch it, but Joy always falls asleep halfway through.

"And the Easter Bunny!" Claude added, jumping over his brother's shoulders and laughing. Caleb turned to push at him again playfully, both of them oblivious to how Jamie's face fell.

"Wow, the Easter Bunny is real!" Jamie scoffed.

"Oh, he's real, alright! Real annoying, real grumpy, and really full of himself!" Jack exclaims, finally jumping from the fence onto the grass below that was half hidden underneath the patches of snow. Joyce grinned and timed her jump just right just so she could fly over his shoulders. She was grateful for her brother's superior strength, giving him the ability to hold her up without tumbling over. He glared up at her angrily. "Hey! What're you doing? Get off!"

"How's this for a little Big Foot?" Joyce mockingly asked Jamie, despite him not being able to see her or Jack. She threw her arms about, almost looking the way a grizzly bear does before it attacks. She coughed and growled, trying to sound like what she thought Big Foot sounded like. With her rapid movements, Jack was wobbling about trying to keep them both upright. While that was happening, Sophie Bennett(Jamie's sister) as well as his mother finally seemed to come out of the house.

The mother, as all mothers were, took out a blue ushanka hat that she pulled over her son's ears after helping Sophie up from her tumble down the porch steps. "You need to stay warm, Jamie. Wouldn't want those pesky Frost twins nipping at your nose!"

"Frost twins? Who are the Frost twins?" Jamie asked incredulously as he straightened the hat.

"Nobody, sweetie, it's just an expression!"

"Hey!" Jack called, offended as he spun around to face them. This resulted in Joyce tumbling from his shoulders and onto the ground below. Distracted by Jamie leaving with his friends, he took off in the wind again. Joyce rolled her eyes and jumped to her feet, shaking her head to rid the white snow and quickly followed behind, smacking her brother upside the head as soon as they landed again. "Owe!"

"Alright, now I feel better," Joy grinned, placing her pale hands on her hips. "What's wrong?"

"For the first time we're even mentioned to Jamie, he acts like he's never even heard about us before."

"So?"

"So...I just wanna show exactly who the Frost twins are," Jack explained, bending low to pull a ball of snow into his hands. He smirked and brought it to Joy's face giving her a taunting smile. "C'mon, you know you wanna! I know that comment bothered you, too, before I dropped you!" Joy glared unceremoniously at him before leaning forward and blowing. Blue magic curled around the snowball; Jack could do it, too, but he did it so they both technically helped. Taking the snowball and aiming, he finally caught Jamie at his back, the blue magic flowing from his eyes down lower so he let out an ecstatic laugh.

"Okay! Who threw that?" he asked, looking around playfully.

"Well, it wasn't Big Foot, kiddo!" Jack jokingly responded, trailing closer so he could watch as Jamie bent low to make another snowball and throw it to whoever was closest. In this case, it was Monty, the local accident-prone boy with adorable blue eyes, blond hair, and big glasses. He grunted as he fell over, just before his companion was also hit. This was Pippa, the brainy girl who lived a few doors down from Jamie.

"Jamie Bennett, no fair!" she called, despite it being clear she was laughing.

"You struck first!" Jamie shouted back, looking around as the snowy landscape now became a battle zone for snowballs to be thrown. Jack and Joy were in the middle of it all, smiling and watching as the kids ran around with snowballs to throw at each other. It was just a blast until one poorly aimed ball hit the back of Cupcake's head, Joy's favorite kid who had been previously occupied by the snowman she was building. Joyce bit her lip, sharing a look with Jack who seemed a bit shocked himself. He understood the reputation Cupcake held, but he never really attempted to get her to interact with the other kids.

Taking initiative, Joyce quickly grabbed a ball of snow as Pippa began to whine, "Crud! I hit Cupcake!"

"She hit Cupcake!" Caleb blamed.

"You hit Cupcake?" Claude mumbled, looking fearful.

Joyce blew on the snowball once more, smirking as her magic encased it before she aimed and threw it straight for Cupcake's face.

"C'mon, throw me a bone here," Joy pleaded. She knew Cupcake wasn't bad. She was a little girl judged poorly by her peers. The only way to get them to see her in another light was to join them. She prayed her magic would help enough. Crossing her fingers, she watched as the magic surrounded Cupcake's mouth, forcing a laugh past her lips before she stifled it and laughed again.

"You're on!" she finally roared, lifting the snowman's completed head over her own and began to chase the kids, all who began to laugh and play along, running from her. Jack seemed to gain another one of his mischievous ideas since he shot ahead of Joy toward Jamie and slammed his staff down onto the ground before him, spreading a sheet of ice for him to slip on and land on his sled. Jack continued to lead the trail of ice forward, taking Jamie Bennett for a dangerous ride.

Biting her lip, Joyce dashed straight after him, the wind easily helping her catch up to her brother.

"What are you doing? Trying to get your kid killed?" she hissed.

"Just having a little fun! Lighten up!"

"You say that now, but if he gets hurt-"

"Can't hear you! We're sledding away!" With that, he moved faster taking Jamie along with him on the road of ice. The two went throughout town, Joyce following closely behind. People watched and yelled as Jamie passed, still confused as to how the ice was forming and how come he couldn't stop the sled.

They even managed to stop a moving truck, some of the furniture slipping out from the back and into the crowded road that had vehicles honking. Joyce loved the thrill of this herself, but she knew how carried away her twin could get and she didn't want Jamie to get hurt as a result of it.

Soon enough, Jack managed to get Jamie up on a ramp-like object, sending him into the air and tumbling right before the town statue in the middle of the local park. Joyce was breathless as she caught up, slumping over one of the stone men sat atop the Burgess quote from its settler. Jack cheered beside her, pumping his fists as he grinned excitedly down at Jamie. The other kids could be seen running for him.

"When you do it, you really do it," Joyce commented.

"Don't be jealous because you didn't think of it," Jack retorted.

"Shut up!" Joyce huffed, playfully pushing him just as Jamie jumped to his feet in excitement. He began to babble about how cool it was just as a sofa came and knocked him back to the ground. From what Joy could see, it was the same sofa from that moving truck that had followed them all the way here.

"Nice, Jack," she commented.

He grinned guiltily at her. "Whoops!"

"Gotta admit, though. This definitely outdoes the lollipop incident! One point to Jack, tying us up!" Joy grinned. Jack pumped a fist.

"Jamie, are you okay?" Pippa asked, her and Monty lunging forward to help him up. Jamie didn't seem to need it, however, since he jumped up a moment later clutching a tooth.

"Cool! A tooth!" he exclaimed happily.

"Oh, no," Joyce said, biting her lip.

"No!" Jack mirrored.

"Dude! That means cash!" Claude cheered.

"This means the Tooth Fairy's coming tonight! She's coming tonight, you guys! And Easter is right around the corner! Oh, this is so awesome!" Jamie chanted, making his way back home holding his newly fallen tooth and sled. The other kids walked with him, explaining their own excitement for him along the way and how cool he looked on the sled.

"Are you kidding me? What about all that fun we just had?" Jack asked, jumping from the statue and onto the ground. "That wasn't the Tooth Fairy! That was me!" He jumped into the wind again, landing right in front of the kids. Before Joy could stop him, Jamie walked right through him, along with Pippa and Caleb.

"Jack..." she mumbled, jumping from the statue herself and making her way toward him. She could see his expression dampening already, meaning she was surely not going to see him for another several hours. She hated it when he got like that. She understood it was because he was hurt, but she wished he would seek comfort in his sister rather than someone who was obviously not going to reply. "Are you okay?" She went to place a hand on his shoulder, but he just brushed it off and took off into the wind once more, leaving her on the ground.

"Dang it, Jack..." she sighed, running a hand through her snow white bangs. This was getting old. Not being seen was bad enough, but the fact Jack refused to talk about how he felt about it to his own sister really infuriated Joyce. She may as well be by herself if he didn't want to talk about the important stuff with her. For the first time in a while, she looked up to find the full moon in the sky, barely seen in the diminishing daylight. "You're really throwing him around, aren't ya?" Sighing irritably, she stuffed her hands into her pant pockets before taking off to find Jack herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Joyce Overland Frost's Point of View**

* * *

Her canopy of snow didn't feel as comfortable when she returned to it later that night. Since Jack's lack of communication with her during the aftermath of Jamie Bennett's tumble, Joy found herself walking around Burgess with her mind swimming. She had long given up on finding him. If he wanted to be seen, he would've let his sister discover him. Having been used to being walked through, it didn't hurt as bad as the people of Burgess passed through her like a mouse in rain. Usually, the memory that her brother was with her helped with the pain. Now it was just her own personal strength(or lack thereof) that got her through it.

Why couldn't Jack just talk to her? That's all Joy wanted. She didn't want to be treated as just something he was stuck with. She was his equal, was she not? It was the Frost Twins, not just Jack Frost, the sole bringer of winter and all things that are fun. Joyce was a part of it, too. She was Joyce Frost, the other one.

Sighing irritably, Joyce turned over on her side to face the town instead of the taunting sky that pretty much just tossed the moon into her face like some kind of joke. Joyce understood he would probably never talk to her or her brother ever again, but did he have to be so present in their misery? Everything grew more miserable when Jack questioned him for hours on end, despite knowing his answers would never be received.

Burgess was a quiet, comfortable town. Everyone had a story, but nobody was completely unhappy or easy to anger. It was nothing but bliss to see families constantly greet each other. Maybe that was another Moon joke. He meant for Joy and Jack to remain in the one perfect town just to be unseen and invisible. How pathetic.

A string of gold suddenly invaded Joyce's field of vision, making her flinch and back away out of instinct. A moment later she was perfectly calm. The Sandman had arrived in Burgess as always to bring dreams to everyone to bid them all a good slumber. Joyce loved this part of the day. The opportunity to see his beautiful creations and the simple joy it brought to the kids was wonderful.

Knowing this would mean her brother was admiring the gold, too, Joy leapt from her perch and into the wind to go find him. It wouldn't be too hard. One, Burgess wasn't too big. And, two, her brother was probably the only male to have white hair with a blue hoodie. Glancing this way and that, she finally saw him standing on one of the telephone wires. His smile had returned to his face, looking around in elation at the sight of all the dreams traveling to their proper people. Joy landed silently behind him, watching with a loving smile as he spun around on the spot. When he spotted her, it vanished.

He was surprised, for a moment. Then he bit his lip and stuffed one hand into his hoodie pocket and slowly approached her. He looked guilty.

"M'sorry," he mumbled under his breath.

Joyce grinned "For?"

"For...for walking off and all and just overall being a big jerk? Look, I know I was being difficult earlier. I guess it's just been getting a lot harder recently, especially because Easter is coming up and hearing Jamie talk about how he wanted to spot the Easter Bunny. Now he's going on and on about seeing the Tooth Fairy...it's just all so much, you know?" he rambled, twirling his staff between his fingers. It glowed white from the magic of his ice.

"Mm...I guess I can forgive you. But...look, I just wish you'd stop keeping me in the dark about all this. I'm probably the only other person who knows how you feel! They walk through me, too. Walking off and acting like this makes me feel worse." Joyce explained, pressing her hands at her chest. "Like...like I can't possibly help you."

"Fine, fine, just stop getting all sappy," Jack smiled, pushing her playfully.

"We have our moments!" Joyce chirped, pointing a hand to him and watching as a spike of ice curled around his left foot and around the telephone wire. "Moment's gone! Ha!" She used the wind to propel herself over his head and out of reach before landing on the wires behind him that he couldn't reach thanks to the ice. If he were any other spirit, he'd probably be in immense pain. He aimed his staff at her, probably with the intention to freeze her, too, but it never happened.

Both of them flinched and stumbled as something very large brushed right past them. Joyce nearly fell; Jack probably would have if it wasn't for her ice.

"What was that?" Joy gasped, looking in the direction that the thing ran.

"I don't know. Help me with this ice!" Jack snapped, beginning to break it with the end of his staff.

"But we'll lose it if we don't go now!" Joyce squeaked, hopping up and down in worry. "Just come find me when you're free!" With that, she took off from the telephone wires and toward the running figure. However, whatever it was obviously did not want to be seen. Looking around, now standing on top of an old car, Joyce was about to give up and just go back to Jack when she heard a trash can fall loudly as the figure ran by again. Smirking, she took off after it, the wind propelling herself forward so she was almost as fast as this stranger. She would've grabbed it had it not been for her brother tackling her to the ground right beside an alley way.

"Jack!" Joy groaned, rubbing her head.

"That's for leaving me up there! What are you doing? You don't even know what it is!" Jack huffed, also rubbing his forehead since the tumble wasn't too controlled. Joyce had completely forgotten about the mysterious figure now, far too focused on her anger for her brother as she seized him around the middle in an attempt to tackle him, too.

"Get off me!" Jack snarled, trying to shove her away.

"Say uncle!"

"No! Get off!"

"Owe! Let go of my hair! That's cheating!"

"Let go of_ my _hair! Joy, Joy, you're ripping it off! OWE! NO BITING!"

The two were now subdued in a wrestling match, but neither of them were never that good at fighting anyway, so it just looked like a big ol' mess. Jack's staff fell a few feet away, its owner too distracted by Joy digging her teeth angrily into his shoulder in order to pull him off of her now ruined ponytail.

"_'Ello, mates._"

In an instant the two stopped. Someone was with them there. Someone who could see them. Joyce's heart suddenly gave a jump. She knew that voice. But it couldn't be. Easter wasn't for another few days! Finally ripping herself from Jack, she looked around frantically in an attempt to find him. Her brother did the same, grabbing for his staff in alarm.

"Been a long time!" the voice continued. "Blizzard of '68, I believe. Easter Sunday, wasn't it?"

He finally appeared from the shadows, looking the same as he did the first time Joy saw him. Her mouth suddenly formed a large, elated smile. She frantically began to fix her hair, which was practically ruined thanks to her brother's angry hands. He still stood several inches above both her and her brother with the same green eyes Joyce loved so much.

"Bunny! Long time, no see!" Jack spoke, smirking. "You're not still mad about that, are you?"

"Yes," Bunny sneered. "I 'ave half a mind to ring the both of yer necks!"

"Bunny!" Joy exclaimed excitedly, her bright blue eyes lighting up. She smiled giddily, her entire demeanor changed and her past anger with her brother forgotten as she stared at what she presumed was her other half. However, Joy did possibly look a little crazy with her messy hair and tussled clothes thanks to her sibling. "I can't believe it's you..."

"I don't have time for chit-chat, Frosts. I'm just here for one thing...fellas?"

Jack suddenly disappeared from Joy's side, making her completely forget about staring at her flame and feeling so happy to see him. She let out a yelp to see two yetis bigger than even Bunny now clutching a moving sack that held her brother. She looked from Bunny to the yetis and back.

"H-Hey, wait! Wh-Where are you taking Jack? What'd he do?" Joy asked.

"Ain't none of your concern, Frost," Bunny growled at her, before looking up at the yetis and giving a curt nod. "See you back at the Pole!" Tapping twice on the ground, he left no room for Joy to question him more as he disappeared in a tunnel he created and closed it back up with another beautiful flower forming right before her blue eyes. She whipped back to the yetis, her fists clenched.

"Let my brother go! Who do you think you are? He didn't do anything!" she yelled, raising her hands as blue energy swirled around both, threatening to release any amount of snow and ice needed to free Jack. However, the two weren't the least bit threatened. One of them produced what looked to be a large globe with red paint coating the top and bottom in a sort of ornament fashion. This meant these yetis were, indeed, the workers of North. He spoke in his own foreign language and tossed it, a portal opening up.

"Wait, stop!" Joy cried, watching as they walked through it. A spark of ice finally flew from her hands and struck the ground right where the yeti holding Jack was just standing before. Just as the portal began to close, Joy took a leap of faith and felt the weird sensation of being pressed down on all sides before falling onto unknown ground and feeling the entire atmosphere around her change. She knew she was no longer in Burgess. She could hear several hushed voices around her, as well as the terrified yells of her brother coming from the sack.

The smell of cookies and cinnamon wafted up her nose, and she was sure she felt a lot warmer than she had in Burgess. The ground was rugged and wooden, but it was clean. Joy had the strange sense she wasn't alone. Looking up, she let out a terrified yell to see four intimidating spirits peering down curiously at her, Bunny amongst them. However, his confusion was short lived.

"Crikey! I told her this wasn't her business!" he sneered angrily, glaring down at her. Joy looked around again, focusing more on her surroundings so she could get a hold on what she was seeing. She was at the North Pole. That much was obvious. The walls were coated in red velvet paint with excellently crafted furniture all made by a careful hand. There was a large fireplace off to the side with a small library right beside it, reaching the ceiling with its literature, waiting to tell their tales. On her other side was a large globe covered in golden lights, almost blinding her. Underneath it looked to be a control panel she often saw on TV with complicated buttons and switches.

Tiny elves with pointed hats and chiming bells hanging from their tips waddled around, staring at her with wide confusion. There was also several more yetis, all of them as scary and hairy as the ones that took her brother. Her brother!

Joyce looked around frantically, spying the same pair that still clutched a red sack. Joy finally got to her feet.

"This one is Joyce Frost?" she could hear from behind her.

"Hard to miss, North, with the white hair and all."

"Were we not supposed to only bring Jack?"

"The Sheila jumped ship, North. Ain't my fault she's too stupid to follow orders."

"Bunny! That is enough!"

Joy ignored them, instead pointing a scathing finger at the yeti holding the struggling bag.

"Let him go! Let him go now before I freeze you and make you go from a yeti to the abominable snowman!"

The yeti looked over her shoulder, as if asking someone for permission. Once he got whatever go ahead he needed, he finally set down the sack and let Jack push himself out. Her brother grunted uncomfortably, rubbing his head as he looked frantically around. Once he saw his sister, he quickly took her awaiting hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"What is this? What's going on?" he asked feverishly, just before he was knocked upside the head by something sharp. Joy winced and he grunted. The yeti holding his staff seemed to apologize in its own little language before it gently put Jack's object back into his hands and turned to grab the sack and leave. Finally, the two were allowed to address the four beings across from them. Joy finally got a good look at them, feeling a loss of words once more at the sheer sight of who she knew were the Guardians.

Everyone knew within the spirit's realm that the Guardians were beings picked by what she presumed to be a unanimous vote to represent something for the children of the world. They were similar to celebrities. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman each embodied something important. Jack and Joy recognized Bunny, North, and Sandy from their especially rare crossing of paths.

They, or more Jack, were taken by the Guardians.

Santa Claus, or North as he was more commonly known for them, stood tall and wide. He had a long white beard and bright blue eyes that sparkled in a way the twins' didn't. He wore a red Christmas sweater that looked like it was stitched from love. His brown breeches were hoisted far up on his waist. On both of his feet were buckled boots. To Joy's utter surprise, Santa Claus had two very visible tattoos. On his forearms were the words of either 'naughty' or 'nice'.

The Sandman was a short round man radiating in gold. He looked like he resembled the sun. Even his eyes were a beautiful yellow coat. He was adorned in a golden onesie with a puffy collar. His hair sprung from his head in random spurts, still the same color, but not the same shade. Joy was sure the little specks dotting the ground beneath his feet was the sand he used for his dreams to the children.

The Tooth Fairy refused to touch the ground, her wings moving rapidly so they were only a blur. Her face was almost breathtaking to look at, her wide fuchsia eyes blinking down at them, complimenting her long eyelashes. She was covered in green, yellow, and teal feathers from the top of her head all the way down to her feet. Golden rings were wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Surrounding her seemed to be mini versions of her person, all with a personality of their own. It was difficult to look away from her. Joy had never seen something so beautiful.

Joy pushed her brother forward, backing away behind him.

"He did it! Whatever bad thing you wanna punish us for? He did it." Joy squeaked, pointing her hands to her brother.

"What? No way! She did it! Joy's always been the more reckless one!" Jack protested.

"He tricked me into all those things. Look at him, he's got crazy in his eyes!"

"Shut up!"

"You see? Crazy!"

"Okay, okay, perhaps we got off on wrong foot, no?" North took the reigns of the argument, holding his arms up and stepping toward them. "Jack Frost, I wanted to bring you here. Whole thing was my idea. Did yetis treat you well?"

Jack completely forgot about pointing Joy out to be the psycho twin, and instead he scoffed at the older man, "Yeah! Um, those things need to be put on a leash! Or wear an obedience collar or something! I was shoved into a magic portal in a sack! Not good for my claustrophobia!"

"Yes, yes, perhaps not entirely humane, but it got you here quick enough! It is good you brought some support, too! Your sister has tagged along, no?"

"Why'd you bring me here in the first place?" Jack asked, before observing the four of them more carefully. "Because it had to be something really bad to get the four of you together. It just begs the question...are we on the naughty list?" North elicited a loud laugh that came from deep within his throat, making Joy flinch from surprise.

"Ha! On naughty list? The two of you have own stamps! But it is a matter of past by now. We overlook, we ignore, we wipe clean the slate, all things of the past forgotten!" North assured, wiping at the forearm where 'naughty' was written.

"And you're doing that...because?" Jack asked.

"Come now, Jack, all will be revealed in good time! Introductions are in order. As a good host, I must take the liberty in introducing you and your sister to...well, us! You know Bunny, obviously?"

The two glanced towards him automatically, watching as he displayed no care in their presence as he glanced lazily at his claws with one of his shoulders pressed into the pillar available. Jack snorted while Joy probably gazed a lot longer than she was supposed to. How could he have such an affect on her, even after so long? She wished it could be vice versa, too. Joyce knew she wasn't the prettiest spirit(the Tooth Fairy was living proof of that), but she still figured she could turn a few heads. She just wished Bunny's was one of them.

"Obviously," Jack said finally, breaking her train of thought.

"And the Tooth Fairy?"

Almost as if on cue, she suddenly fluttered up very close to their faces. Joy got an intoxicating smell of spearmint, almost like she smelled of toothpaste no matter what. She smiled giddily at the both of them, but Joy could tell she was paying particularly more attention to Jack. She was sure she saw the tiniest hint of pink in her cheeks.

"Hello, Jack! Joy! Oh, I've heard so much about both of you! And your teeth!"

"O-Our what?" Jack stumbled, broken from his own trance. It was clear to Joy Tooth wasn't the only one looking.

"Open up! Are they really as white as they say?" Tooth squealed, prying open his mouth with ease and prodding around with nimble fingers. "Yes! Oh! They really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow!" She finally removed her hands, instead smiling even bigger at him with the tiny fairies each gasping and oohing at him. Joy practically didn't exist. She was about to sidle away when Tooth turned to her.

"And you!" She interlocked her own hands together, pressing them lovingly to her face. "You're so pretty! Your teeth sparkle just like your brother's!"

Joy couldn't help the blush. She sputtered out a reply, "Y-You're really pretty, too!"

"Oh, well, thank you! I-" she cut herself off just as some of her fairies began to squeal and 'faint' as they continued to stare at her very confused brother. "Girls, pull yourself together! Let's not disgrace the uniform!" With that, she flew a few ways away to hiss things into her ear just before her feathers bristled and she was suddenly barking orders at them. They each flew out as more flew in. It was both incredible and weird to watch.

"And the Sandman?" North went on, pointing down to the golden man below who was suddenly fast asleep. "Sandy? Sandy? Sandy? WAKE UP!" The poor Guardian opened his eyes wide, still looking exhausted but being gracious enough to give a little wave to Jack and Joy, to which Joy returned. She thought he looked like a golden teddy bear.

"Okay, okay, now that everybody knows everybody, can you finally tell us why we're here?" Jack demanded.

"Well, to be honest, Jack...we were only supposed to receive you."

"Why? Frost Twins tend to come as a packaged deal."

"Ba! Here we go, then... I have brought you here, Jack, because it has finally come forth for your time...you...are...GUARDIAN!"

There was no time to react. Suddenly, trumpets erupted in a loud echo. Joy shrieked and covered her ears in surprise as confetti suddenly dazzled the twins' vision and drums followed their trumpet leader. The yetis had returned, the pair of them clutching large torches with burning wide flames the size of Joy's head. Elves approached Jack excitedly, brandishing a silver platter with hideous looking shoes on top of them. They pointed from Jack's feet to them, obviously intending to demand he wear them.

Another yeti appeared, holding out a red, white, and blue snowflake necklace and attempted to place it delicately around Jack's shoulders. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't having it. He quickly pushed the yeti's hands away and looked around angrily. Joy still had her hands over her ears, the music still too loud. The Guardians were paying her no mind. Their complete attention was on Jack, either excited, elated, or completely apathetic.

The yeti that tried to put a necklace on Jack instead went to hand North a large brown and golden book with an intricate 'G' on the front. He cleared his throat as he opened it, but he never even got to say the first line. Jack must've had enough because he finally slammed his staff down, a wave of frost spurting across the floor and the wind blowing everyone in front of him a couple of feet back. The music finally stopped, and North was no longer attempting to read. In fact, everyone but Joy was staring at him with shock.

"What makes you think I wanna be a Guardian?" he snapped.

Despite being his twin, Joy surely didn't expect him to say _that._


	3. Chapter 3

**Joyce Overland Frost's Point of View**

* * *

Joyce was at a loss for words. Guardian? Her brother? This Jack Frost? She couldn't believe it! All of a sudden, the room was filled with Joy's laughter. She snorted, hiccupped, even shed a few tears. Everyone who had been silent from Jack's outburst now turned their attention to her. Even Jack looked a little weirded out. But Joy continued to laugh hysterically, even doubling over and clutching her stomach. Finally, after wiping a few stray tears, she stood straight and pointed at the Guardians, "You're joking...right?"

"Er-no? Vy vould I be joking?" North asked, his Russian accent a little more evident.

"How about this? We've been ignored for three hundred years, been walked through for three hundred years, and now you drag us here and say we're Guardians-" Jack was quickly cut off again, this time by Tooth as she looked a little uncomfortable. Her fairies moved in sync around her, the lot of them looking a little out of place with their discomfort.

"Well, a-actually, Jack...like we said earlier, you were chosen to be Guardian. Not...not Joy."

Joy frowned. Okay, maybe it wasn't the hilarity of the situation that made her feel so strongly. Maybe it was the envy. But why would she be jealous? It's not like she's ever even thought about trying to become a Guardian, and she knew the waiting list to be called was extremely long. The Leprechaun and Cupid were frontrunners right now, but the fact that her brother was chosen and not her, or at least not the two of them together... Well, that bothered her a little bit! What did Jack do that was so different from Joy that he deserved to be Guardian?

She glanced at her brother and he looked back. It was clear the thoughts running through their heads weren't the same. He didn't think of the situation as unfair because Joy wasn't included. He just thought it was stupid and unreasonable that they all of a sudden decided to pull this situation from their rears without thinking twice about how he felt about it.

"Okay, okay, let's slow down here for a minute. I'm not a Guardian. I mean...let's be honest here, none of you guys run the same track as I do," Jack smirked, perching his elbow on his disgruntled sister's shoulder. "You guys work constantly, stay holed up here and lose every bit of what's fun about you, and you don't even get paid for it! Me? I spend my days spreading snow days and watching kids throw snowballs at each other. Plus, I got Joy. I'm not a Guardian. Not even close!"

"You see? No responsibility! No personal drive! I told you this was a mistake!" Bunny suddenly exclaimed, nudging North. "He ain't Guardian material. This deal with Pitch-"

"Pitch? What? You mean Pitch Black, the Boogeyman? He's the big issue here?" Jack interrupted him, ignoring the glare that Bunny sent him.

"Yes, Jack, yes! He has sent the first move. It is time we act before he enforces anymore damage on us that could harm the children! We cannot do it without you, however!" North declared, marching forward so he stood beside Tooth. She put a hand on his shoulder, before nodding to Jack. In the back, Joy could see Bunny making many motions to Sandy. He was clearly not happy with this situation, but Sandy just seemed concerned. This whole thing was one big mess.

"Look over here, Jack," Tooth gestured, flying over their heads in the direction of the glowing globe Joy saw before. "You see these lights? Each of them represent a child, one that believes. We're supposed to protect them, the non-believers, the bad, the good, the old, and the young. That is what we do. Pitch can ruin all of that in an instant."

"Well, is that all?" Joy asked sarcastically. "Look, it's not like we don't wanna help-"

"You mean Jack?" Bunny took over again, giving Joy a look of irritation.

"Uh...yes, yes, of course I meant Jack, but you gotta understand he's never...I mean...we've never...Jack, help me out here!" Joy hissed, shaking her shoulder so his arm fell finally. He scowled at her, before moving his gaze to the Guardians. Everyone's emotions were flared. Well, everyone's except for Sandy. Joy had a lot of thoughts running through her head at once, and for some reason both guilt and jealousy were sharing the same temple. What was going on with her?

Again, Joy never wanted to be a Guardian. She never cared about the title. But why wouldn't they be called as a packaged deal. They were the Frost twins! They were a duo! What did Jack have that she didn't? How come he deserved to be a Guardian and she didn't? It just didn't make any sense to her. It wasn't fair! She never whined to the Moon about her existence. She didn't mope about in constant misery, ignoring her brother in favor of someone who never answered her! She should be the Guardian, not Jack!

She stifled a gasp. Nobody noticed. Everyone was too preoccupied with Jack, and he was just trying to talk himself out of this whole thing. What was she thinking? That was terrible. Jack was her brother; she was supposed to be supporting him in a situation like this, not insulting him because he got something she didn't. But she couldn't help it. For three hundred years they've been by each other's sides. They were brother and sister, a family. And for most of it, Jack would turn away from her and burden someone else with his problems instead of the one person who knows what he's going through.

And now four of the most well known spirits were standing before the two and claiming he was one of them, completely excluding her. She was _his _sibling.

Jack shook his head, rubbing his temples. He clearly wasn't aware of Joy's inner turmoil. "Look, I'm sorry. I am. But you guys need to just pick someone else to face off the Boogeyman. I'm not the one you're looking for." He walked over and gently shook Joy's shoulder. "C'mon, let's get going."

"Jack, do you honestly think we pick?" North scoffed.

"Because if we did, we sure as anythin' wouldn't have gone to you," Bunny sneered.

"Bunny, no," Tooth shook her head, before moving forward again. "Jack, we don't pick who becomes a Guardian. We get chosen. By the Man in the Moon!" She pointed far above. Following her finger, Joy saw a skylight right in the ceiling, perfectly positioned for an amazing view of the moon, which glowed bright blue down on them. The brilliant hue blinded Joy for a moment, just before her eyes widened and she shot a look to Jack.

"What? Man in the...he what?" Jack sputtered, sounding a loss of breath.

"He chose you, Jack. It was as clear as Christmas lights," North whispered dramatically.

"Just Jack?" Joy tried to clarify. "Like there wasn't a little me hanging around there when he was picked...just...just chilling?"

Sandy and Tooth exchanged an uneasy look before Sandy shook his head with a guilty look.

"But he...I mean...does he talk to you all the time? Does he answer your questions?" Jack asked, before peering at the window himself and suddenly bristling in anger. "Three hundred years...three hundred years of being walked through, being ignored, and this is how he repays me? By-By giving me a title I didn't even ask for? That's not fair! I don't want it! I don't want to spend everyday trying to manipulate kids into believing in me. I want them to because they _want _to! No offense, though. Not that you guys...I was just making a point."

"No, no, I think you've made your point alarmingly clear," Bunny snarled, shaking his head as he turned to his fellow team. "Are we really gonna sit back and have him stamp on everythin' we've built for ourselves? Let's be honest with ourselves 'ere, what use is havin' Jack Frost of all people on the team with his sister taggin' along? If this really is Pitch, we need to be movin' now! Not begging some clown to join the Guardians!"

"Clown? Really? Seems a bit rich coming from a kangaroo," Jack snorted. Joy froze in her little mantra running through her head. The Man in the Moon, after years of ignoring Jack's pleas, decides to make him a Guardian. Joy had never complained to him, never regretted him turning her into Joyce Frost, never resented him. Why wasn't she rewarded?

Why was she being so selfish?

"K-Kangaroo? Did ya just call me a kangaroo?" Bunny scoffed, turning away from the Guardians and facing Jack full on.

"I'm not one for stepping down. Yeah...yeah, I did," Jack grinned, approaching him as well. Joy, sensing danger, quickly dashed forward and gripped the back of his hoodie and dug her heels into the wooden floor. Unfortunately, Jack was stronger. He and Bunny met each other halfway, staring nose to nose with heavy glares.

"Might wanna heed your sister's call there, mate," Bunny growled.

"Or what?"

"Or I break ya into two."

"Bunny! That's enough!" Tooth called, taking ahold of Bunny's bandolier that he had hung over his broad furry shoulders. He seemed to not be listening as Jack wasn't. Their anger practically radiated off of them, no matter how hard Joy pulled on her brother just to get him away from Bunny. However, being this close to the Easter spirit had her heart pumping, so perhaps she wasn't trying too hard to get away from him.

"Let me ask...if you're not a kangaroo straight out whatever desert in Australia...what are you?"

"I'm a bunny," Bunny spat, "The Easter Bunny! People believe in me!"

Jack flinched. He obviously hadn't been expecting that. With his surprise, Joy finally successfully pulled him aside. Instead of glaring at Bunny for making her brother feel this way, she just gave him a look of disappointment and finally got Jack to look at her. Although, it personally appeared like he was looking through her.

"Come on, Jack. You've said your piece. Let it go," Joy whispered, trying to calm him down.

"Jack," North interrupted their moment, "Walk with me."

Jack looked from his sister to North. He seemed hesitant.

"It's not a request. Come," North beckoned, drawing the winter spirit away to a corner before disappearing. Joy quickly began to follow, not thinking twice about it. However, she only got two steps in before she felt something pulling insistently on her sleeve. Looking down, she saw it was Sandy and watched as he quickly shook his head with a few sand images appearing over it. Seeing her misunderstanding, Tooth flew up.

"He's saying that North really needs to talk to Jack one on one. Becoming a Guardian is a bit nerve-wracking," Tooth admitted.

Joy bit back a snort. Her brother just couldn't be a Guardian. Not a bit of it made a lick of sense. How could he be a Guardian and she not be? Was he going to leave her behind often now? Every time the Guardians requested a meeting, was she to remain in Burgess and wait patiently for his return? Did this mean he was taking over the entire job of spreading winter? What did that leave Joy to do? If he became a Guardian, he was sure to gain believers, right?

"Um...okay. Do you...do you know how long this will take?" Joy asked, turning to face her.

"With North, it always depends," Tooth smiled in a simply dazzling way. Her teeth shone bright. "I'm sorry if it feels a little overwhelming. We weren't intending to leave you alone or anything when the yetis took Jack. In all honesty, we just needed to get him here as soon as possible. With Pitch on the run, anything can happen. We have to move quickly."

Joy swallowed thickly. "What exactly is Pitch...doing?"

Before Tooth could answer, Bunny cut in. He had been stewing in his anger for the past few moments since Jack was taken by North. Now he looked furious still, but slightly less so as he looked at Joy. He stepped forward, waving a dismissive paw before her face, "That ain't none of your concern, Frost. If you know what's good for ya, you'd return to your home and wait for Jack to come back. This is Guardian business for a reason. We can handle it."

"Bunny, enough. There's nothing wrong with her tagging along. He is her brother, after all."

"She's also not a Guardian."

Tooth shook her head and turned back to Joy. "It is exciting to be able to meet you. You and Jack are a popular subject amongst some spirits. Your mischief and snow days are a great distraction for some of their work. Some of them have a lot to say about you, too, though. The Groundhog isn't particularly taken with you."

Joy grimaced at the memory of that hideous creature.

"He's just mad when he doesn't see his shadow in the snow. Hopes it'll tick off the spring spirits every year," Joy said, looking at Bunny.

"I knew that donger got a kick outta seein' his shadow!" he snarled. Sandy rolled his eyes playfully before gaining Joy's attention again with another series of images. Tooth, once more, translated.

"He's asking about Burgess and how it's doing. It's one of his favorite towns to visit."

Joy perked up. "Oh! It's doing great! All of the kids are great! I gotta tell you, seeing your dream sand is probably my favorite part of the night. It's just so incredible!" She clutched her hands to her chest, smiling widely. She could see Bunny in the background crossing his arms and rolling his eyes at her. "Is it true you have an entire island to yourself with sandy creations roaming around?"

Sandy smirked and made a motion over his mouth that simply told her he wasn't saying, leaving that rumor as is. That sucked. That's one of the most popular gossip amongst the spirits. Sandy's one of the most powerful spirits. Having an entire island where his powers thrived was simply incredible, and she wanted to witness it one day.

Some of the fairies surrounding Tooth smiled as they approached her, moving around her face rapidly and even brushing past her hair. She laughed as she lifted a hand to touch one of them.

"These are so cute! They collect the teeth?"

Tooth grinned. "And they do one heck of a job! I couldn't ask for a better team! Although, I do have some issues with turf wars concerning our European division. It can get a little territorial. But there's a rule to never go for the face. Wouldn't wanna crack those pearly whites, right?" She even showed hers for emphasis.

Joy turned to Bunny, already trying to fight the blush that formed over her cheeks. "So...how are Easter preparations going?"

He looked like he was going to ignore her, but one look from Tooth had him sighing irritably and speaking with that accent she loved so much, "Everythin's goin' smoothly. Be a lot easier on me if I could go and help the preparations go faster, but with North keepin' me here for this bloke, it'll draw me back a bit. It'd be a better help if you and your brother kept from too much snow. Be a bit more pleased if you stayed out of it completely."

Joy flushed even more. "Oh! Of course! I wouldn't...I mean...Burgess has the most beautiful egg hunt every year. I wouldn't want to ruin it for you." She paused. "And...about the Blizzard of '68..."

But she never got to get her apology out.

Tooth suddenly went rigid. Her face paled and she stopped fidgeting like she had twelve cups of coffee. Her fairies looked at her in concern. Something was definitely wrong. Her mouth dropped and her pupils shrunk slightly just before she looked at Bunny and Sandy. Her voice was shaky, frightening Joy.

"They're at the Tooth Palace. They're taking..._no_!" With that, Tooth zipped toward the skylight that was still open for the moon and she flew off. Joy was extremely confused. Bunny and Sandy, however, were jumping into action like the Guardians should do. They sprinted past her toward the same corner her brother and North disappeared into.

"H-Hey, where are you going? What's going on?" Joy sprinted to keep up.

Neither answered. Instead they both quickly hopped into a large looking elevator shaped almost like a corral. It was covered in holiday paint. They didn't wait for Joy to come in, but she leaped over the door just in time as it went downward. Bunny was tapping his foot rapidly, looking stern but still scared.

"S-Sandy, is Tooth okay? What happened?" Joy asked.

Sandy shook his head.

Finally, the elevator landed and they were off again. Bunny and Sandy were far too fast for her, leaving her in the dust as they ran through a crowded level of yetis making toys. Joy didn't even get the chance to look at them(she and Jack tried constantly to break in, but the yetis always saw that they never could pass). Something had happened to Tooth, an incredibly kind spirit who has treated Joy with nothing but sweetness.

They continued until they rounded another corner and found North and Jack facing each other, her brother clutching something small to his chest.

"We have a problem, mate," Bunny murmured. "Trouble at the Tooth Palace!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Joyce Overland Frost's Point of View**

* * *

She was short of breath. She heaved, grasping her knees as she watched North's face go through a series of emotions ranging from anger to fear. At once, he turned his back and began marching in the opposite direction. Obediently, Bunny and Sandy followed. From what Joy could see, North was very good at taking charge. Joy and Jack trotted after the elder spirits, Jack shoving whatever he had into his hoodie pocket before looking at his sister in worry.

"What's going on?" he asked instantly, "Is Tooth okay?"

"I don't know," Joy replied, still jogging, "She froze for a minute, and she told Bunny and Sandy someone was at the palace before she flew off. How did she just know? I didn't see any of her fairies fly in! It was like some kind of sixth sense or something! I hope she's okay." Joy meant that. For what little time she knew Tooth, she understood she was a kind spirit with a big heart. She was a little excitable, but that made her all the more appealing in Joy's opinion.

The North Pole was, apparently, much bigger than she originally thought. Twists and turns full of yetis and elves alike as North marched along. He seemed to know exactly where he was going. As for Sandy and Bunny, the two seemed quite content with following their leader. Joy and Jack struggled to keep up, the two of their confusion mingling. Tooth had sounded so scared...and, in turn, it made Joy scared. Who would possibly want to hurt her and her little fairies? Whoever it was had to be somebody especially cruel.

"What did North and you talk about?" Joy asked as they walked, trying to distract herself.

Jack seemed surprised, but he answered anyway, "He kept asking me what my center is."

"Your...your what?" Joy squeaked, skidding to a stop as the other three did. Looking up, her mouth dropped. They were facing a wall completely made of thick ice, the blinding blue aura radiating cold and shocking waves from lack of oxygen. Two great wooden doors were fixed into it, carves intricately embedded into it so the design stood out. The brass doorknobs were shaped like candy canes, which Joy thought was a nice holiday touch.

Her and Jack weren't able to continue their conversation. North ripped open the doors and walked right through. Everyone, as they have been for the past few minutes, followed. Joy gasped from either amazement or complete shock. She has definitely never seen this part of the Pole when she and her brother attempted to sneak in. Ice stalactites hung from the caved in roof, a trail of sleet ice fell at their feet, seeming to go on for miles down this tunnel. Joy didn't know if North purposely created this tunnel, or he just built his home around it. Either way, it was incredibly cool. Literally. She could see her breath come out in tufts of smoke. Not even Burgess did that on its coldest day.

Yetis that weren't working in the toy shop were walking around with power tools and animal food. Overhead amongst the stalactites were ropes and fixed wood that was embedded into the apparently penetrable ice. To her left, Joy could see another set of doors and ropes sliding in and out of each pillar and column.

"Wait, North...look, I'm really sorry for what happened to Tooth, but...there's no way we can go with you guys! We have no clue what we're in for and we've never..." Jack trailed off from his mantra of excuses to gain an escape with his sister. He, too, slumped over with a gaped mouth and wide eyes like his sister and watched as two more wooden doors opened. These looked more like stable doors, however, which told the twins there was something animalistic on the other side.

"Is this the sleigh?" Joy squeaked, beginning to hop up and down excitedly as she switched her gaze to North. He stood rather arrogantly, hands on his hips and smirking with utter pride. Joy whooped and hollered, spinning on the spot and watched as whatever was being kept behind those doors finally came to light.

Twelve huge reindeer marched in formation, swinging their mighty heads with their threatening antlers that Joy was sure could cut her in half. Their sleek brown fur told her they were brushed on a regular basis. Their eyes were cold and fully black. They were strapped with red leather leashes, all connected to the most beautiful contraption Joy has ever seen.

The sleigh was scarlet red and a lot bigger than Joy originally thought. It was as big as a moving truck, the same one she and Jack had saw the previous morning. The interior was made up of the same wood Joy has seen throughout the pole, though it was painted with a clever hand with patterns of red and checkered black and white. Toward the front was a complicated control panel and mini globe that pretty much mimicked the same one inside. There were several rows of seats at the back for multiple people to sit, but at the front were the two ropes meant to guide the reindeer to the proper destination.

"SHOTGUN!" Joy screamed, taking the others by surprise. She leapt into the sleigh just before she was tackled down by her brother.

"I get shotgun! Sit in the back!" he growled, before dusting his hands off and calmly stepping forward as if that was that.

But it wasn't that.

"AARGH!"

Joy had jumped onto her brother's back, tightening her legs around his torso and yanking at his hair. The other three Guardians watched uselessly, probably not used to such sibling banter like this. Deciding to leave it to them, Bunny yanked at North's sleeve and gave him a look of irritable contempt.

"My tunnels are faster, mate. I can just meet you there," he assured.

"Separation tips the ice burg, Bunny," North stated wisely. "We must stick together. And I can assure you my sleigh is better equipped for group transportation. Now, get in!" The Guardians turned to look back at the siblings, seeing they had finally come to an agreement. Jack sat smugly up front while Joy sat on the lowest row of seats in the back, her ponytail lop-sided and clothes ruffled. Technically speaking, it wasn't much of an agreement.

Sandy, undisturbed, floated up the short steps and into a seat beside the, now, pouting Joy.

Bunny rolled his eyes and turned back to North. "I think I might just chance at tipping that ice burg, mate," Bunny sighed.

"Come now, Bunny! No time for argument. Tooth is waiting for us!" With that, North grabbed Bunny by the scruff of his fur, as if the rabbit was as light as a child, and plopped him right behind Joy and Sandy. Joy flushed, her cheeks blushing a vibrant blue. Being so near the spirit that had captured her heart so many years before was a lot harder than she originally thought. She tried to keep her mind on Tooth and how she was doing at the Palace.

Joy began to fix her hair, her mind now overwhelmed with so many thoughts at once. She still felt the same envy she had felt before when they kept looking at her brother and telling him he was a Guardian, she felt the affection and want for Bunny every time she looked at him, and now she felt the fear for someone who could become a good friend in good time if given the chance. How was it possible to feel all of this? Joy just didn't understand how she was even capable.

North seized the ropes, elbowing Jack playfully as he barked over his shoulder. "BUCKLE UP!"

At once, Bunny was moving around, his paws scraping uselessly at the wood.

"Where are the bloody seatbelts?" he demanded.

"Ha! That was just expression! Here we go! Hang on!"

He expertly whipped at the reigns, the reindeer standing at attention. The yetis surrounding them took initiative and got out of the way, grabbing the little elves so they wouldn't get run over. There was a second for a pause before they took off, the reindeer proving to be a lot stronger than they looked as they didn't even slow with the weight they were carrying. Then again, they carried millions of presents every year, so Joy really couldn't be surprised.

Jack stood up in his seat, raising his hands on high as he shouted his excitement. The sleigh was picking up speed, taking them deeper into the icy cavern and away from the warm home of Santa Claus.

"SO COOL!" Joy shrieked, her voice echoing off the walls as she got to her feet as well, gripping the side and peeking over to see the sleigh sliding over the ice, scraping some of it up and dotting her hair with the little bits. A particular turn would've had her tumbling out had it not been for Bunny grabbing her by the waistband of her sweatpants and yanking her back into her seat. "Sorry! Sorry, I was just looking."

Bunny grumbled incoherently, going back to gripping the wood, sinking his claws into it and ruining the upholstery. He grit his teeth, making the two front ones a lot more evident. Sandy seemed quite content with the ride, however, even going as far as to raise his hands above his head like Jack's and radiate with a large smile.

They went through loop-de-loops, swirls, and even zig-zags until they could see a bright light in the distance. They were heading straight for the exit of the tunnel. Joy wondered to herself how far from the Pole they were now. Her brother gripped the side of the sleigh, smiling and turning on the spot to face his sister. Their previous tumble was forgotten as he shouted over the loud echoes of the sleigh, "ISN'T THIS COOL?"

"YES!" Joy replied, jumping to her feet again and hopping up and down on the spot. "THIS IS AWESOME!"

The sleigh finally protruded from the tunnel and straight into the air. The reindeer flew just like they could on those Christmas cartoons. They showed no hint of slowing down or landing. The sleigh evened out, leaving the Guardians inside to move as they pleased. Joy giggled happily, clapping her own hands together and sitting once more. She turned to grin at Bunny and Sandy, but she frowned upon seeing Bunny still frozen against the sleigh seats. Biting her lip, she leaned forward and gently prodded him with her index finger.

"Hey...are you okay?" she asked softly. Sandy sidled away, smiling knowingly.

"No, now stop jabbin' at me." Bunny grumbled. "Just tell me when we're at the Tooth Palace!"

"You've never been in North's sleigh before?" Joy couldn't help but ask.

"I've been. Don't mean I like it," Bunny retorted. "I'm bein' serious, Frost, leave me alone."

"What a bunny," Jack insulted, approaching the two. "Hey, Joy, watch this!"

He leaped over the two onto the highest row of seats.

"Hey, Bunny!"

Gritting his teeth, Bunny's green eyes whipped open in anger and he turned to glare at Jack for disturbing him.

"Check out this vie-AH!"

Joy and Bunny let out terrified shouts. Jack had flown right over the edge and disappeared. Joy flew to the edge of the sleigh, calming down at once when she saw her brother resting lazily on the landing gear. He smirked up at her tauntingly, waiting for Bunny to realize he was okay, too, when he poked his head out right beside Joy.

"Looks like I got a fan base!" Jack sang. "You both care! What ever did I do to deserve y'all?"

"Oh, rack off, ya bloody show pony!" Bunny snarled, flying back and leaning so he didn't have to look over the edge again. Joy, however, was grinning.

"I hate you!" she said, punching him playfully as he hopped back in.

"What? Couldn't resist!" Jack snorted, pushing her back. The atmosphere was a lot different now that they were back outside with the open air traveling through their lungs. They had nearly forgotten that Tooth was in trouble until North brought out a snow globe similar to the one the yetis used when they took Jack and whispered, "I say...Tooth Palace!"

With the images swirling within the globe, he took it and threw it far from them. Instead of flying away like any normal object, it opened up into a wide portal that swallowed them whole, taking them somewhere completely different. The bright blue of the sky melted into evening with the clouds hiding to show off the pink and orange sky. Joy looked around curiously, once more in amazement. Looking forward, she gasped.

"Uh, problem! Problem! Big problem!" she shouted, jumping backward onto the seats. Bunny must've snapped out of it because he and Sandy were out of their seats staring forward as black shadow things fluttered past them. Joy was sure she heard the sounds of tiny little chimes going off. She almost got hit by one, but her brother grabbed her wrist in time and pulled her to safety.

"What are these things?" Joy asked loudly, gripping her brother's upper arm.

"I don't know, but they definitely aren't good," Jack hissed back, still watching anxiously as they grew closer to the green mountains. There, these things multiplied.

"LOOK OUT!" North shouted, jerking the sleigh to avoid hitting a group of them. Jack seemed to finally see what they were doing, gasping as he flew into the air, crying out, "They're stealing the tooth fairies!"

And, just as he had said, these black horses made up of what looked to be black sand were swallowing whole the tiny fairies that had surrounded Tooth back at the Pole. It was absolutely horrific. Jack had used the wind to propel himself upwards, grabbing one of the fairies just before it got taken by one of those beasts. Joy ran over as he landed once more, carefully opening his hand to gaze at the fairy he saved.

"Hey, little Baby Tooth! You okay?" he asked anxiously. The cute little thing nodded her head, looking at Jack with gratefulness.

"But...why would they steal...LOOK OUT!" Joy pulled Jack down as she shot her hand up. A burst of ice flew from her hands and hit the black horse heading for them. It imploded, whatever was sitting within its stomach flying out into the sleigh and clattering at the bottom. They weren't fairies. Joy looked a little confused as she picked one up. It was a tiny golden cylinder with a diamond pattern on the top with a face on either end.

Bunny grabbed gently at her wrist, pulling her hand closer to him, "They're stealing the teeth!"

"BAH! Someone take over reigns!" North shouted angrily. Joy flew into view, grabbing the ropes from him and guiding the reindeer while he hopped overboard onto the front of the sleigh, brandishing two twin swords that looked like they could slice you just from looking at them. He began to stab at all of the horses that got too near, only able to capture those with the cylinders inside. All of the fairies had been taken away. Joy bit her lip, continuing to guide the reindeer downward into a canopy of vines. On the other side, she gasped.

There were multiple turrets and steeples of pink, purple, and gold alike. This must be the Tooth Palace. It was absolutely extravagent. Joy had never seen anything like it before. Her distraction led her to accidentally misguiding the reindeer. She would've accidentally decapitated everyone if North hadn't yanked the reigns from her and pulled them back on course.

"Sorry!" Joy squeaked, jumping out of the way.

"'Tis alright, Joy!" North assured, continuing to lead the reindeer further and further into this maze of towers.

"Jack...what did you sign up for?" Joy asked quietly, looking to her brother. "This isn't just a little run in and run out. This is bad."

"I know, but..."

He trailed off as North made the reindeer go up and down to avoid hitting one of the low domes, the sleigh rocking back and forth enough to make the four in the back fall over each other. To Joy's joy, she had landed right over Bunny's torso, the two of them now entangled as the sleigh finally came to a stop.

"Off," he grunted, glaring down at her.

Joy blushed profusely, jumping to her feet. "Sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean...I was just..."

"TOOTH!" North called, looking up. "Are you alright?"

The spirits all looked upward. Tooth was flying around with a look of disbelief on her face. She looked absolutely distraught.

"They...they took my fairies," she whispered miserably. "They took everything..." Her wings slowed, bringing her to the ground safely as she looked defeated. Joy's heart went out to her. "Everything..." The Guardians, excluding Jack and Joy, quickly jumped from the sleigh and went to console her. Bunny and North put a hand on her shoulder while Sandy placed one on her knee. From their position still in the sleigh, Joy felt they looked like the perfect family. It'd be rude to intrude on something like that.

These four spirits cared deeply about one another. Jack and her were invading their space. They shouldn't be here. They couldn't be here.

Well, actually, Joy shouldn't be there.

The thought made her feel selfish. This was about Tooth, not her. But it was true. Jack was one of them now. In the distant future, he'd be a part of that little family. And Joy would be nothing but a memory. She'd be someone he used to know. Someone the Guardians never thought about any longer.

A tiny squeak interrupted her thoughts. Looking over at her brother, Joy smiled to see the fairy he saved leave his shoulder and go to greet Tooth and let her know she was okay. Tooth was absolutely elated, cradling the fairy to her chest.

"Oh! Thank goodness! One of you is alright!" she exclaimed.

"Good job," Joy smiled, patting her brother's shoulder with pride.

"_I have to say," _a completely different voice joined the group, making a shiver run down Joy's back for whatever reason. "_This is very, very exciting. The Big Four all in one place..._"

Then _he _showed up. Just the sight of him was enough to tell Joy that this was Pitch Black, the Boogeyman.

He was several inches taller than she was with a narrow body figure and wide, broad shoulders. He had a black robe draped over him, hiding his legs and feet. His skin was almost like his shadow, while his eyes were a filthy yellow, something terrifying to see in the dark staring at you. His hair was spiked, also black in shade. He looked scary.

"_I'm a little starstruck._"


	5. Chapter 5

**Joyce Overland Frost's Point of View**

* * *

Joy couldn't believe her eyes. It was really him. North and the others were telling the truth. She took hold of Jack's arm, frozen in shock. Her brother was supposed to help the others fight him. He was supposed to be the key in defeating Pitch Black. While, yes, Joy was feeling a lot of jealousy about his new title, she still didn't want to see him get hurt in the midst of battle. Joy knew she wouldn't be able to handle something like this.

"PITCH!" Tooth roared, her wings starting and throwing herself upward as she glared at him. "YOU HAVE GOT THIRTY SECONDS TO RETURN MY FAIRIES BEFORE I RIP YOU TO SHREDS!" She zipped towards him, fists clenched. He gave a small grin, calmly walking around the pillar he stood in front of, disappearing with ease as Tooth looked around in confusion. "Where'd he go? Where did..."

"Oh, simmer down, you peacock," Pitch drawled, appearing several ways over, running his long slender finger along the pink walls of her many towers. He sneered down at them. "I am not the least threatened by you...or any of you, for that matter. I was hoping we could have a calm discussion like adults."

"You stole 'er fairies and the teeth. Why would we have a calm discussion after that?" Bunny snapped.

"I would've figured with the leverage I have, you'd be just a tad kinder. Who knows what I could do to the teeth? Or, Moon forbid, the fairies." Pitch smirked, stopping his pacing as he stared down at them with his cold, putrid black pupils that were surrounded by a haunting yellow iris that resembled the headlights of an old car. Joy felt like the deer that got caught in the middle of them. She pulled Jack protectively closer to her.

"What is your angle here, Pitch? You know good and well this will not end in your favor!" North barked.

Pitch rolled his eyes. "Says who? The man who so foolishly contacted his fellow Guardians upon seeing just the mere shadow of me within his precious North Pole? Gave me ample opportunity to run freely around here without so much as a warning to the fairy queen." He bellowed out a cold laugh, disappearing behind the tower again. Joy looked around anxiously, feeling chills run up and down her spine, which was weird since she never got the chills. She was an embodiment of winter!

"_Do my eyes deceive me?_" Pitch's voice rang throughout the atmosphere, but he was nowhere to be found. "_Or is that Jack Frost? The Jack Frost? Blue eyes, shimmering white hair, hideous hoodie..._" Jack stared down at his top, slightly offended.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Pitch appeared two feet from the twins. Joy let out a small shriek, jumping backward. Jack simply stared up at Pitch, in awe at his presence. The two had never even seen the Boogeyman before. But it was clear who was baring the confidence number at the moment.

"Ah, yes," Pitch sneered. "The difficulty of misinterpreting your identity is as difficult as tying your shoes. And you don't wear any."

"Funny," Jack snorted, stepping in front of his sister. "Now get away and get those fairies and teeth back where they came from."

"Touchy. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were in kahoots with the Guardians. You're normally not so attached at the hip," Pitch shrugged, hands splayed over his hips.

"We aren't; doesn't mean I can't be ticked when something that doesn't belong to you was taken," Jack huffed.

Pitch snorted, rolling his eyes just as he disappeared within the shadows again. For a moment, the twins twirled on the spot, both on the edge of their toes awaiting for his reappearance. Joy slowly began backing away toward the Guardians that remained on the ledge. She didn't expect to back up into Pitch.

"Dude!" Joy cried, spinning around with her pupils dilating considerably. "L-Look, I'm not very happy with...you...taking the fairies...either." Pitch was nearly chest to chest with her now, smirking eerily down at her with his hands calmly interlocked behind his back. Joy, unable to bend anymore to get away from him, finally fell. Thankfully, her brother was there to catch her.

"So...we have the mopey invisible brother and the useless tagalong sister. I can understand why one of the two were chosen now," Pitch grinned. "What better way of the Moon trying to pick favorites than by choosing only one Frost twin to have a chance with the big dogs! I'd be furious if I were you, Joyce."

"It's Joy!" Joy hissed.

"Joyce, Joy, nobody really cares," Pitch continued. "Then again, I guess the same could be said of the both of you. Let's be honest here, Jack and Joy aren't exactly a conversation starter amongst those children you love so much."

"PITCH! YOU SHADOW SNEAKING RATBAG, COME HERE!" Bunny's roar could be heard fast approaching. Jack pulled Joy away just in time before Bunny could accidentally throw them out of the way on his journey to grabbing Pitch. But, as soon as he had arrived, Pitch disappeared again, leaving them all looking around curiously. Then it was Tooth catching all three of them by surprise as she shrieked on her way to them with her wings fluttering angrily. She grabbed something from the back of Bunny's bandolier and skyrocketed toward one of the pillars overhead. Joy could finally see Pitch standing calmly there, giving Tooth a friendly smile.

"TOOTH, LOOK OUT!" Jack shouted. She thankfully stopped just in time to avoid having her nose chomped off by the horrific display suddenly standing before her. Joy was frozen in fear. It was a horse at first glance, but at the same time it wasn't. It was a sparkling black with glowing yellow eyes. Its teeth were a hideous charcoal coat, tossing its great head as it glowered at Tooth's shrinking form.

"Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn't...if I were you, love," Pitch chortled, running his hand down the shadowy mane of the beast. "She can get rather protective over her owner. That would be me! Well, then! Now that I have your attention..." Pitch trailed off as his eyes found Sandy, who was furiously displaying sand images over his head as he pointed angrily at Pitch. "Oh, this? I suppose this does look rather familiar to you of all spirits, my old friend...It did take me a long time and a pretty penny to perfect it. Turning dreams into nightmares just takes a snap of my fingers now."

Sandy stomped his foot, glaring angrily at his counterpart.

"Now, where was I? Oh...right...my attention now turns to you, North. I must ask just because I wasn't there to personally witness it myself. I do have to ask...was it a grand show? What happened with the globe? I had a really good laugh. It did manage to gather all of you together, though, didn't it? Not so smart now, don't you think?"

North cursed in his mother tongue.

"What's your angle here, Pitch?" Bunny asked, his green eyes blazed in fury.

"Well, there could be a lot of reasons for that, rabbit. A little bit of this...a little bit of that...a little bit of what you have. Believers are a desire for all spirits, you know, not just you blasted Guardians!" Pitch's calm voice suddenly ended in a yell.

"Tired of hiding under beds, then?" Bunny taunted.

"Pretty much, yes. That is how we came to this point. Me towering over the heads of you pathetic...but why waste my breath on insulting you?" Pitch smiled. "After all, you're pretty much a pack of jokes yourself. A fat red man that sneaks into children's homes and punishes them for being bad with coal and good with gifts. Is that a good message? A rabbit that wastes an entire month painting eggs and hiding them with no thanks. A fairy that hasn't seen a child in over four hundred years because she feels her work is much more of a priority than the very thing she protects! A dream spirit now having to stare at my own creation with awe. Do you like her, Sandy? She can smell fear, you know!"

"Fear? Of you? Does it trouble you to know that nobody's even batted an eye to you since the Dark Ages?" Bunny snapped, finally taking back the boomerang that Tooth had previously ripped from his bandolier.

"Oh, the Dark Ages! Don't even get me started on that beautiful era of children running to their mothers in tears! Too frightened to even sleep or close their eyes! Such misery I thrived on! That is...until the Moon saw to my demise with you four. I'm not too arrogant to admit you kicked me pretty well. But...it's been a long time for you, too, Guardians. Everything around you is about to change."

Joy shuddered uneasily, just before she shook. The platform underneath their feet gave a dangerous movement. Joy looked around in shock. The beautiful pink and gold paint was suddenly dripping from the turrets and balconies. Some of the other platforms began to shake as well, threatening to fall.

"Would you look at that?" Pitch gasped. "It's happening already!"

"What? What is?" Jack asked, looking around.

Tooth let out a startled gasp. Her wings slowed to a stop, her tiny feet brushing the ground underneath her.

"No...it...it can't be," she pleaded.

"Tooth? Are you okay?" Joy asked wearily, slowly approaching her with a hand outstretched.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Oh, Jack, you have to know how painfully funny it is to see how stupid to Guardian terminology you are," Pitch insulted. "Children across the world are waking up and reaching underneath their pillows expecting to feel a coin and instead come across their disgusting blood covered teeth. The exchange never happened. The Tooth Fairy never happened! To them...they finally realize she does not exist!"

"What are you talking about? Of course she exists!" Jack scoffed.

"Mm...well, you see, Jack, when a child stops their belief with one of the Guardians, it affects their powers. Their abilities, their worlds, everything. Without believers, they are reduced to nothing. It's a slow process, but eventually the fairy that stands before you now will be no more. And with her goes Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny, and even the wise old Sandman. All of them...leaving the children with nothing but the fear I need. I crave. I can practically taste it already." Pitch moaned.

"ARGH!"

Joy cried out as two boomerangs were suddenly thrown. Pitch must've noticed, too, because he suddenly mounted his nightmare steed and propelled himself from the ledge down below. Leaping into action, North, Tooth, Sandy, Bunny, and even Jack quickly followed him. Joy stayed rooted to the spot, clutching the front of her top with uneven breaths.

The Boogeyman. The real Boogeyman had been there before her. He even acknowledged her and all she did was fall right into her brother's arms and whimper with the fear he obviously loved so much. Jack stood up to him without trouble. Jack seemed so unafraid. Maybe he was Guardian material. And this whole thing simply proved that Joy was not Guardian material. She was nothing but the tagalong sister just like Pitch had said.

Mouth shaking, Joy took a few steps and allowed the wind to carry her down below where the Guardians and her brother had landed. As expected, Pitch was nowhere to be seen. Nobody even acknowledged her as she landed. Tooth was off to the side, gripping what seemed to be one of the golden boxes from earlier. Pitch must've missed one. Jack was by her side, his face contorted in worry for the fairy.

Near the wall of flora, North, Sandy, and Bunny seemed to be engaged in a heated conversation where Pitch's name was thrown around all over. Nobody seemed worried about Joy's whereabouts. None of them seemed to care. Joy crossed her arms over her lap sadly, her hair practically drooping from her misery.

"...and that's why we collect the teeth. A child's memory is so important. Their values, their friends, their family, all of them in one little box for us to help them remember when they've lost their way," Tooth's voice caught her attention. Her wings started up again, gracefully taking her into the air as she fluttered toward the body of water that laid below an incredibly beautiful mural painted on the side of a rocky cliff. It was Tooth, obviously, capturing the many colors that radiated off her as she smiled over the children's happy faces.

Jack had followed her, the water freezing underneath his cold feet to keep him upright.

"We've collected everyone's memories. We watch over and protect them. At least...we did before Pitch took them all." Tooth's head dipped. "We even had yours here."

"Wh-M-My memories?" Jack stumbled, looking up at her in confusion. "What do you mean my memories?"

"You know, before you became Jack Frost?" Tooth giggled, thinking he was joking.

Jack backed away, his face paler than usual. "Wh-What?"

North was suddenly laughing giddily to Joy's right. Turning, she saw him pointing eagerly at Bunny. "You should've seen him! He wore a-"

"Hey, hey, hey! Off limits topic! You promised never ta mention that, ya blowhard!" Bunny growled, glancing toward Joy uneasily as if she was eavesdropping.

"Y-You mean...I had a life...I had a life before all of this? Before the Moon told me I was Jack Frost? D-Did I have a home? A-And a family?" Jack asked eagerly, the corners of his mouth lifting up.

It was like a bucket of hot water ran down Joy's back. She straightened quickly, her eyes widened and her mouth slightly parted. She didn't realize the ring on her finger, which again was the source of her powers, suddenly glowed chalk white. Sparks ignited in the palms of her hands, making her hands automatically clamp down from shock.

_Family? Did he really just say family?_

Joy had lived three hundred years alongside him. All they had were each other! She was always there when the Moon wouldn't answer him! It was _her _that comforted Jack! She did everything for him! And they weren't a family?

Joy needed to calm down.

She needed to really calm down.

Frost was gathering around her clenched fists, traveling up her sleeves and toward her shoulders.

"Joy? You okay?"

She realized everyone, including Jack, was now staring at her.

"Uh, what? What happened?" she asked, looking around confused. Staring down at her hands, she yelped seeing the frost and quickly shook them to get rid of it. "I'm fine! Just...shaken up from Pitch is all."

"Joy, I asked you a question," Tooth said cautiously, flying up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me...do you remember anything from before you became Joyce Frost? Anything at all? Jack said he doesn't remember."

"Um...no, no, I don't. All I remember is coming out of our lake and the Moon telling us we were the Frost twins. _Are _the Frost twins, I mean," Joy quickly corrected herself.

"Oh, well...that's..."

"We have to get them! That's what we have to do! We have to get my memories!" Jack cheered, dancing on the spot as he leapt into the air with the wind's aid.

"Jack, I think you're forgetting the situation where Pitch took all the teeth and my fairies," Tooth said.

"Oh, right," he blushed blue, "W-Well, then we have to get them back!"

Tooth let out an amused smile, just before her face fell into pain. She grit her teeth and nearly fell to the ground from her wings stopping but Joy had jumped forward just in time to catch her.

"O-Oh, no," Tooth groaned, looking up at the mural that was beginning to chip away. "T-The children! We're too late..."

"NO! NO! GUARDIANS NEVER SAY TOO LATE!" North yelled, stomping his foot. "It cannot be too late! I will not allow it!" He lowered the swords he was just waving around in anger to think. He mumbled incoherently to himself. Tooth finally got ahold of her wings and flew slightly above Joy, staring at North in confusion.

"IDEA!" he barked, pointing his sword toward Bunny who jerked away just in time. "We will collect the teeth! We shall be tooth fairies!"

"Wait, what?" Tooth gasped.

"Yes! 'Tis brilliant idea! We collect teeth, children keep believing in you!"

"Yes, North, yes, but there's only one problem! We have seven continents and millions of kids with lost teeth! There's no way we can hit that many in one go!" Tooth argued.

"Please! You forget I deliver presents to all children in one night!" North grinned.

"And the fact that I hide eggs in one day!" Bunny stated proudly, crossing his arms as he smirked up at Tooth. She smiled giddily.

"And Jack! Joy! If you both help us...we can get you both your memories! Does that sound like a plan?" North asked, turning to her brother.

Jack looked at Joy for confirmation. She just gave a shrug and a subtle roll of the eyes. She didn't really feel like talking to him right now.

"We're in!"


End file.
